Promoting a book is labor-intensive, nerve-wracking work for authors: we worry about how to create “buzz” for our books without annoying everyone we know, stress about bad reviews or no reviews, and struggle to find creative ways to engage readers. This work can be even more daunting for small press authors, whose books don’t often have the support of large distributors or publicity teams. This month, I wanted to give an inside look at indie book promotion, with a conversation with small press freelance publicist Lori Hettler.
Lori has been a reader and reviewer of small press literature for more than a decade. She was previously the Marketing Director for the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography (CCLaP) and Chief Staff Interviewer for Alternating Current’s The Coil. She’s the founder of The Next Best Book Club on Goodreads (which currently has almost 20,000 members) and its corresponding Next Best Book Blog. As a freelance publicist, Lori has represented many small press authors of literary fiction, including—as of a few weeks ago—me! I’m thrilled to be working with Lori to promote Besotted and was excited to chat with her about the challenges of marketing small press books and how small press authors can set themselves up for success.
Let’s start with the upsides, Lori. What do you love about your work as a publicist?
What’s not to love? Championing small presses has been such a passion of mine for so long, and I simply can’t think of a better way to channel it. As a freelance publicist, I have a lot of control over which titles I take on. I’m not bound to promoting titles by any one specific publisher, so if I’m signing with an author it’s because their work spoke to me in ways I just couldn’t ignore. And then I get the opportunity to take that work and help it find its audience! There’s no better feeling than helping one of my authors land a review or interview in one of their dream venues.
I know from my own experience that one challenge marketing a small press book is simply time and energy. Large presses have teams of people behind promotion, wider distribution, and more cache when it comes to landing reviews. Are there other challenges beyond these to effectively marketing small press books?
There’s a challenge that I think is connected to the strength of small presses. They aren’t afraid to break the mold and publish books that might introduce a unique narrative or defy genre, or that are written by marginalized writers. By taking risks on amazing literature that looks and feels new, they ultimately create their own marketing challenges because there’s nothing out there to even compare it to.
Do you have any tips for authors who want to work as effectively as possible with their publicist?
One of the best things an author can do is be up front about the level of personal involvement you can commit to. As you brainstorm ideas for outreach with your publicist, let them know if you have no interest in, say, writing essays for culture blogs or snapping shots of your bookshelves for a “shelfie” post. Do offer up a list of venues where you or your work have appeared and don’t forget to share points of contact, if you feel comfortable doing so. Are there things that you believe are unique to you or your book that we should know about that could be leveraged during our campaign? Don’t be shy! Sometimes the best way to market the book is by marketing you!
Money is a big factor for small press authors debating hiring a publicist. It can feel like a big risk to pay for help with promotion without any guarantee that you’ll earn the money back in book sales. I don’t mind being transparent with my readers that I’m paying you $900 for your help promoting Besotted—money I don’t expect I’ll earn back. I decided to invest in a publicist more as a long-term strategy for my writing career. It was a decision, though, that I spent a lot of time weighing. Do you have any thoughts for writers who might be similarly on the fence about publicity? What are reasonable expectations for authors to have, and what questions should they ask if they’re considering hiring a publicist?
Hiring a publicist is a pretty big decision for an author. Ultimately, you’re trusting someone else to be your book’s greatest ally, so it’s important to explore whether their vision on how best to support your book aligns with your own. While it may appear costly up front, challenge yourself to consider the time and potential stress a publicist could save you when all of the hard work is left in their capable hands. And if they’re well established, many will come with a built-in network based on strong relationships with editors in a variety of venues that have been cultivated over many years. While you might not be able to sell enough books to balance out the cost of a publicist, you’ll have to weigh how much tapping into that network might be worth to you.
As far as questions to ask: it’s important for you to understand how wide of a reach they have, and what their area(s) of expertise are. Have they pitched books in your genre before? Who are a few of their past clients? Which venues can you expect them to pitch on your behalf? What level of involvement do they anticipate from you during the campaign? Are they as enthusiastic about your book as you are? Does it sound like they have creative marketing strategies that would complement your book? If you’re looking for more than just review and interview coverage, you may also ask if they also submit to book award programs, do outreach with radio or TV, or assist with setting up book signings. Don’t be afraid to interview a few before making your decision!